Aftershock
by leiasky
Summary: FAM ZORRO. Victoria is comforted after a series of earthquakes shake the Los Angeles pueblo. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Title: Aftershock

Rated : PG-13

Synopsis: Victoria is comforted after a series of earthquakes shake the Los Angeles pueblo.

Misc Notes: This story takes place after the series finale 'A Conspiracy of Blood'

Written: 8/05

Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else.

* * *

Aftershock

Victoria exhaled heavily as she stacked the dishes beneath the counter. Everything was washed, everything was clean, everything was prepared for tomorrow.

She should be tired. It had been an exhausting day, but she found herself frightfully wide awake. After all, it wasn't every day that the very ground beneath your feet shook so hard you could barely stand.

In the pre-dawn morning it had come. Rolling across the landscape like the thunderous hooves of a thousand horses. The earth shook so violently that she was thrown from her bed. In the taproom below, she could hear glasses strike the floor and shatter.

As quickly as it had come, it ended, leaving incredible destruction in its wake. Whole buildings had collapsed, precious items had been thrown from the walls, people had been injured and a few had even died.

The Los Angeles pueblo looked like it had poorly weathered a deadly and destructive revolution.

"Are you all right?" Diego asked softly from behind her.

Victoria swallowed hard, trying to hide her nervousness. "I will be fine." Truth be told, she was not fine. She wanted to be held and comforted. Just once, she wanted to feel loved and protected. Wanted to be the first person Zorro thought about this time instead of the countless others who no doubt needed his help.

But he had not come.

Only Diego had come.

Diego raised his hands to her shoulders and squeezed gently, trying to offer as much comfort as she would allow.

From the moment he was certain all was well at home, Diego had been at Victoria's side. He knew she was more frightened than she was admitting, even though the strong-willed woman hid it well.

The earth had continued to rumble throughout the day, causing even further damage as structures already weakened by the first strongest shake, collapsed beneath yet another.

Disturbed by the destructive circumstances that had driven her into his arms now, Diego couldn't help but feel delighted at her willingness to take comfort from him. When he turned her around and embraced her wordlessly, she leaned against him weakly, taking the comfort that he so graciously offered.

A small measure of guilt had washed over him as he spent the entire day with Victoria instead of riding as Zorro. No doubt he could have helped a great many people. But today, he allowed himself a small reprieve. It was time Victoria became his priority. He loved and wanted to protect the people of the pueblo but Victoria was his life and refused to be anywhere else today.

If she wished it were Zorro who held her now, she gave no clear indication. But as quickly as her moment of weakness appeared, it vanished, and she embarrassingly extricated herself from Diego's gentle embrace.

"Thank you, Diego," Victoria said nervously, suddenly very conscious of their proximity in the deserted tavern. It was rare that Diego touched her, and she was very self conscious about how good, how right it felt to let him to so now.

"Why don't you go upstairs and try to get some sleep," Diego suggested gently.

"I should." Victoria said with a heavy sigh and glanced toward the second level of the tavern with a certain measure of nervousness.

Impulsively, he rested a gentle hand on her arm, drawing her gaze from the stairs. "I won't leave tonight. If you need something during the night, please wake me."

Victoria smiled gratefully at her friend and shook her head. "Thank you, Diego. I'll be fine."

He watched her ascend the stairs and disappear into her room before slipping out the kitchen door. His longing to hold her, comfort her, was too great. If she would not permit Diego to watch over her in the night, she would undoubtedly accept comfort in the form of the masked man she loved so deeply.

* * *

Victoria was lying on her back, wide awake and staring at the ceiling, when she heard the familiar tap on her window.

Her eyes lit as she pushed herself to her feet and unlatched the surprisingly unbroken glass.

"Zorro!" She launched herself into his arms the moment he climbed through her window and drew himself to his full height.

"Ah, Querida," Zorro murmured into her hair as his arms tightly encircled her shoulders.

Victoria inhaled deeply of the wonderfully masculine scent, her cheek resting against his solid chest. She closed her eyes and allowed his strong, comforting embrace to chip away at the layers of tension that had built over the course of the day.

Zorro tilted her head and pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth. "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner."

"It's all right," Victoria sighed, tilting her head so that his lips brushed hers. "You have other obligations."

"Not tonight." His arms tightened around her. "You are my priority tonight." His eyes brightened as he dropped a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "For the remainder of the night, I am all yours."

Victoria inhaled sharply, her disbelieving gaze searching his in the darkness of the room. Was he saying – ? Only the moonlight shone through the window, casting eerie shadows against the walls.

"Really?" she breathed, unable to believe that he would stay the entire night with her. Their visits had always been so quick. A kiss of the hand, of the cheek, or a rare brush of the lips and he was gone.

He released her only long enough to pull the black gloves from his hands before returning one hand to her waist. The other trailed slowly down her cheek before lifting her chin to meet his loving gaze.

Zorro nodded with a wide smile that reached his eyes.

"You will –" Victoria cast a quick look at her bed. "You will stay with me – hold me, all night?"

Zorro swallowed nervously. The prospect of spending the entire night holding her in his arms was so tempting, heat rushed through his blood at the mere thought. He had just thought to watch over her as she slept, not sleep with her in his arms.

She was watching him with hopeful eyes and as much as he wanted to tell her that such a night could not be spent until they were properly wed, he found himself unable to say the words.

He, as Diego, had spent the entire day with her and despite the brave front she had displayed throughout the day, it had vanished as night fell.

She was scared and he was duty bound as a man and as her beloved to see that she was properly cared for. A slight nod of the head committed him to a night of incredible frustration and wonderful pleasure.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes**: Certain portions of this chapter have been removed for the delicate sensibilities of some readers. When this story is complete, I will post it in its entirety on my site.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

As she lay in bed, he drew the covers over her, carefully shielding most of her body from his view.

Setting his hat on the bedside table and his belt beside it, he lay down beside her – atop the covers.

When she tried to roll over to face him, he stayed her movement with a gentle hand.

He pillowed his head on his arm and spooned his body against her back to prevent her from turning and pressing her delectable body any tighter against him. He rested his arm lightly across her waist, closing his eyes at the delicious feel of her curves beneath his hand.

She relaxed against his chest, melting into his gentle embrace. "Hold me."

"All night," he murmured against her neck, his breath hot on the smooth skin.

He could feel her tremble and was thrilled that he had as much of an effect on her as she did on him.

"Sleep, Querida." He pressed his lips to her neck. "I will be here when you wake."

* * *

Sometime in the night the walls began to shake.

Zorro's eyes snapped open and his arm tightened instinctively around Victoria's waist as her body tensed.

"Don't move." His soft, voice whispered in her ear. "Moving around during an earthquake is far more dangerous than staying in one place."

She pressed her back against his chest and pulled his arm tighter around her waist. He pressed his body against her, leaning over her to make sure she would be protected if anything fell off the walls. When the shaking stopped, his hand slipped from her waist to the nape of her neck. Sliding the hair to one side, he dropped his lips to the smooth skin and trailed them lightly along the long column of her neck.

His lips curled into a small grin when a tremor raced through her entire small frame. His mission satisfactorily accomplished – to relax her – he lifted his mouth from her neck.

"Please don't stop," she pleaded, turning her head toward him enough so that he could see the desire heating her eyes.

"Victoria." His voice was a strangled whisper and his body began to betray him as she reached for his hand and drew it to its previous position at her waist.

Almost inadvertently, he flattened the large palm against her stomach, unable to suppress a small groan at the image that flashed into his mind of her growing heavy with his child.

Before he could stop her, she guided his hand to the soft swell of her breast. Her shift was thin and left little to the imagination as he cupped her.

He inhaled sharply as the sensuous curves fit so perfectly into the palm of his hand. The nipple pebbled instantly beneath his touch, sending an overwhelming rush of blood straight to his groin.

"Victoria," he began, his voice tense with growing desire. "Please, I only have so much control."

She said nothing, only tightened her fingers over his hand.

He closed his eyes, willing his body not to respond further to her inviting caress. He sighed, as his usual form of ridding himself of such arousal failed him.

But she felt the rising pressure against her back and arched her neck once more, gazing into his troubled eyes.

His heart skipped wildly as her lips drew near and with a resigned groan, he tilted his head to meet her mouth.

The kiss was soft, searching, and built slowly until they were drinking heavily from one another's lips. His hand instinctively tightened around her breast, squeezing gently. His thumb brushed across the hard nipple, drawing a pleasurable gasp from her lips.

Zorro suddenly realized that the coverlet shielding her body from his view and his touch had slipped to her waist during the last tremor. With a heavy sigh, he removed his hand from her breast and searched around her waist for the forgotten sheet.

Her mouth clung desperately to his all the while, breaking his resolve to cover her sweet, delectable body. When his searching fingers located the edge of the sheet, her hand came down over his.

She gripped the end of the coverlet and tossed it to the end of the bed, now baring her ankles and feet.

"My Victoria,' he murmured against her lips, "you know we cannot –"

Any further comment was lost as her mouth covered his in a kiss that melted what remained of his tightly reined resolve.

As if of their own volition, his fingers traced small circles along her stomach and upper thigh, slowly circling lower toward the bare skin.

The arm he'd so casually been lying on until now slid beneath her head to cup her cheek – bringing her mouth closer, deeper against his own.

Dimly aware of his circling hand slowly sliding beneath her shift, she draped her leg back over his thigh, shooting his hand instantly around to the front of her body.

"Dios," he whispered against her lips as the irresistible invitation to touch her strengthened.

He continued to touch her until she was completely relaxed. No tension remained in her body as he released her lips and rested his forehead against hers.

Her eyes met his, "That was –"

He nuzzled her cheek with a smile, " – just the beginning, Querida."

"I – I want to give you this kind of pleasure," she breathed.

"Soon. I promise," he whispered, even as he wondered how he would ever keep that vow.

They fell asleep nestled in one another's arms and did not stir again until another low rumbling shook the ground beneath them. This time, the window that he had slipped so quietly into in the night shook so violently that it finally shattered, hurling shards of glass toward the sleeping couple.

Victoria screamed and Zorro rolled atop her to protect her from the flying needle-like shards. He grunted as the sharp pieces struck his back. He rolled off the bed, taking Victoria with him, wincing as the motion drove the shards further into his skin. He pushed her beneath the bed, just as her dresser, and the vanity mirror above it, toppled over, right on top of him.

Victoria felt, rather than saw, Zorro's body jerk as if it was hit and she screamed his name over the rumbling of the earth. When the ground finally stopped moving, Victoria turned wide, uncertain eyes toward the unconscious man lying beside her.

"Zorro!" Victoria cried, trying desperately to see in the dim light. The sun had not quite crested the mountains and there was an eerie light filtering in through the lone window. "Oh, Dios! Please! Answer me!" She slid out from under the bed on the other side, wincing when her hands touched broken glass. Feeling around the floor, she found her shoes and slipped them onto her feet. She crawled onto the bed and looked over the side. All she could see were Zorro's legs poking out from beneath where her dresser had fallen over.

"No!" Victoria cried. She immediately tried to pull the heavy solid wood off the man she loved but she wasn't strong enough. After a few moments, she could hear him speaking very quietly.

She climbed back onto the bed and leaned down toward his head. "I can't lift it!"

"You need something to counterbalance the weight," he breathed and she could tell from his strained voice that he was in great pain.

Suddenly, she remembered that Diego was staying in the next room. He would help them! "Diego!"

She didn't notice the masked man tense at the name.

"He stayed here last night! He will help us!"

"Querida -"

But she had thrown open her door, unconcerned with her appearance and the thinness of her shift. She pounded on the door of the room Diego habitually used when he stayed the night and let herself in when he didn't answer. "Diego! Are you here?"

Victoria scowled and ran back to her room, unwilling to leave her masked man for any longer than was necessary.

"Victoria." His voice was weak and she wiped angrily at the tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Zorro, Diego isn't here. I don't know where –"

"Get on – the bed and – push it off me." He said quietly, his voice straining with the effort to breathe.

Victoria blinked. "Push – But that will hurt –"

"It already hurts, Querida. Please, quickly." He was fighting to stay conscious and she knew it.

Taking a deep, determined breath, Victoria did as he asked. With adrenaline pumping through her veins, she pushed and pushed, slowly inching the heavy solid wood dresser off his body.

The thud as the heavy wood finally slid completely off him echoed in her ears and she jumped off the bed and carefully looked down at him, hands outstretched as if she wasn't sure where to put them. He was on his side, and she could see the shards of glass embedded into his back as she bent closer.

"Oh, Dios." Victoria whispered as she rested a gentle hand on his arm.

"Pull out the glass, first," he instructed, keeping his eyes closed to block out the dizziness whirling around in his head.

"It's getting light, let me get some water and rags!" She disappeared and he drifted in and out of consciousness while she was away. When she returned, she reached around him to try to unfasten the buttons of his shirt so she could bare his back.

"Just tear it. My knife is –" he took a shuddering breath as blackness encroached upon his vision.

"I see it." Victoria slipped the knife from its sheath and slowly cut the back of the black silk shirt. She winced when she noticed the half a dozen or more shards embedded into his back.

Dipping the rag into the water, she carefully extricated each and every piece from his bruised and bloody skin. After each extrication, she poured a bit of alcohol over the wound to clean it and then moved on to the next. Soon, she had every piece out and was dabbing at his hot skin with the cool, wet rag.

"You need to get into the bed," Victoria stood and flicked the rag across the mattress to scatter the remaining pieces of glass.

"Not here, another room," Zorro said, his voice weakening.

"I can't carry you to another room and you aren't strong enough to crawl there, much less walk!" Victoria's voice had a hysterical edge to it as she leaned down and tried to lift his arm.

His breath hissed between his teeth and she fell to her knees beside him. "Where does it hurt?" She slid a small hand behind his neck and gently turned his head.

"Everywhere."

'Please. You have to help me get you into the bed." She leaned close, her lips close to his.

"Give me a moment to gather my strength."

She nodded and frantically looked around for another blanket. She would need it to cover him.

"All right." He said after a few moments. "I will only have enough strength for one try. Go to the other side of the bed and pull from that side.

Victoria nodded wordlessly and did as he asked. With a loud grunt of pain, she pulled and he pushed and soon he was lying on his back atop the bed, breathing heavily.

She removed the tattered remains of his shirt and dipped the rag into the water. She brushed it across his chest, hoping to keep the heat his skin was beginning to generate at bay. The blanket she dropped at his waist and tucked around his body before returning the rag to the water and brushing it gently across his skin again.

"Ribs – broken. Arm too." He breathed. "And my head – hurts terribly. Must have – concussion."

A loud knocking startled her and she glanced sharply toward the door. "Oh no."

He was barely conscious but she could feel his body tense at the sound. "If that is the alcalde–"

A loud crash downstairs alerted them that someone had entered the building. Then she heard them calling for her.

"Señorita Victoria!" came Mendoza's shaking voice.

"Check upstairs!" the alcalde ordered.

"Oh, no no no," Victoria closed her eyes. "They can't find you here."

"I cannot move, Victoria." Zorro opened his eyes and she could see the fear burning within the deep blue pools.

"I'll go down, see if I can prevent them from coming up."

But they were already ascending the stairs, and her door was wide open.

She eyed the belt lying on the floor with his hat and gloves. Not far away from those were the remnants of his shirt and cape. She eyed his mask and reached for it. He nodded, realizing that the only way to keep the alcalde from knowing he was there was to remove the mask and pretend that he was an evening boarder.

"Take it off. Hide it," Zorro whispered, searching for her hand. His vision was blurring now and he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to stay awake.

She slid everything beneath the bed as quickly as she could. Then ripped the mask from his face and whirled toward the open door, just as Mendoza reached the frame. She balled the mask behind the bloodied rag she still held and prayed fervently that she had covered all traces of the masked man's presence.

"Señorita!" Mendoza hesitated in the doorway, glancing around the destruction littering the room. "Madre de Dios! Are you hurt?"

"No! No, I'm fine." Victoria forced her voice to remain steady but as Mendoza's gaze shifted over her shoulder to the man lying in her bed, his eyes widened. "But –"

De Soto appeared at Mendoza's back, surveying the damage with a critical eye.

"But Don Diego seems to be injured," Mendoza realized when he noticed the young caballero behind her had his eyes closed and was not moving.

Victoria's eyes widened and she slowly turned to stare at the face of the man behind her hero's mask. Thankfully, her back was to the men at the door when her jaw fall open as the thunderous revelation struck her.

TBC

**Aurelia30** – Yes. Yes. And, oh, Yes. To your questions, of course :) Someone always has to get hurt! This isn't a long story though. Just something small. One more chapter.

**WolfDaughter** – He can't resist, of course. Well, he does – a bit. But you will have to wait to read what I have removed until I'm done posting this story here. And – YAY, you got the series! I'm so glad! The best episodes, unfortunately, are near the end.


	3. Chapter 3

Note: I was feeling kind and decided the post the last chapter now, instead of a few days from now. No, don't get used to it. I won't always be so nice :)

Again, there is a small piece of chapter 2 missing, which will be uploaded onto my site as soon as I'm done posting this here.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Victoria swallowed hard and whirled back toward Mendoza, her mind working furiously for an explanation for why her friend was half-naked and lying in her bed.

"He was injured while trying to help me." She didn't make any attempt to mask the shaking in her voice. "Will you go get doctor Hernandez? And someone needs to tell Don Alejandro. Please. I think Diego has some broken bones and maybe some bleeding inside. He needs help quickly!" As she spoke, her voice rose, taking on a slightly hysterical edge.

"I will go get Don Alejandro," Mendoza stepped away as de Soto issued another order.

"I will get Don Alejandro, you go escort Doctor Hernandez here immediately."

"Sí, Alcalde!" Mendoza saluted and vanished from sight, de Soto on his heels.

Victoria heaved a heavy sigh and slowly turned back toward the unconscious man. She stared for a long moment, stunned into immobility, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. His dark hair fell over his forehead now, giving him a boyish, yet roguish look. His eyes were closed and she took a hesitant step forward, and then another, unsure if the sight before her were truly real or simply a dream.

When she fell to her knees beside the bed and took his hand in hers, the tears began to fall. She murmured his name, over and over, unable to take her eyes off his face. "How – why – what –" She couldn't finish a thought; her mind was racing with the implications this revelation would mean to her life, to his life, to – well, everything!

She reached up and brushed his hair back from his forehead, her brow furrowing when she noticed how warm his skin was to her touch. Without looking, she dipped the rag she held into the water and then wrung it out. Only when she looked down to fold it did she realize she still held the black silk mask.

"Oh Diego," She whispered, eyes sad. She spread the cool rag out on his chest and folded the black mask carefully, reverently. "Why didn't you tell me?" She leaned toward him and flattened her hand against his cheek. She searched his face, the contours she knew so well, had seen nearly every day since his return from Spain. _How could she have never known? Never realized that she was in love with her best friend?_

Time passed slowly as she watched the slow rise and fall of his chest. Her thoughts drifted to the times, and there were a few, where she had almost let herself believe that her friend could be the masked man she loved so much. But then he would do or say something so completely uncharacteristic for Zorro, that she had dismissed the possibility of them being one and the same.

But now she could see all of the similarities between the two men. It was so simple. Yet she had never been able to put the two of them together so completely in her mind before.

Shame so profound she sobbed aloud also warred for dominance in her troubled mind. All of the times she had compared Diego to Zorro and made no secret about her disappointment in the indolent caballero; her constant nagging of him to _do_ more for the people of the pueblo instead of bury his nose in his books and experiments. All of this time, he _had_ been doing more. More than anyone could have ever guessed.

Victoria cringed when she realized that the self-deprecating behavior her friend exhibited was a ruse that masked his true feelings. The very real pain she had caused at every available opportunity when comparing him to Zorro.

"How can you still love me?" she asked quietly. "I've treated you so badly. Oh, Dios, Diego, I'm so sorry." She took his hand and squeezed it tightly, remembering fleeting moments of joy as those wonderfully large, gentle hands touched her face, held her tightly.

She was still staring at Diego, silent tears slipping down her cheeks, when Alejandro rushed into the room, Felipe at his heels.

"Diego!" Alejandro knelt beside Victoria, curiously surprised when she didn't immediately move away to allow him near his son.

Victoria stood slowly as Alejandro turned imploring eyes on her. "What happened?"

She calmly moved toward the door and closed it before returning to kneel beside Alejandro. When she didn't answer, Alejandro placed a hand on her shoulder. He could see she was suffering from some kind of shock, and he noticed the tears glistening on her pale cheeks, but he was too concerned about the pale form of his unconscious son to ask about her own wellbeing.

"Don Alejandro," Victoria stared at him for a long moment, her eyes unblinking, intense. "I need you to do something for me."

The caballero was taken aback by the intensity in her eyes, which immediately arrested the protest forming on his lips. "What is it?"

When she reached beneath the bed and pulled Zorro's hat and belt, followed by his gloves and torn shirt from beneath it, Alejandro's eyes widened.

"What is –"

"You must hide these, please." She pleaded. "They cannot remain here. Not with lancers crawling all around the tavern, searching for damage."

"Where did these –" Alejandro began and then his eyes widened as they fell on his son. "Victoria – are you telling me -" he trailed off, realizing that his son was lying in Victoria's bed without a shirt. And he now held Zorro's shirt in his hands.

But Victoria was continuing as if he'd never asked a question. " – And you must keep him covered. I couldn't remove his pants and – and they would give him away."

Alejandro shook his head, shock evident on his face. "Victoria – this can't be –"

"It is!" She cried softly, desperate to convey the importance and urgency of her request. "I don't know why, or how or –" She shook her head as tears dripped slowly down her cheeks. "But – he can't be discovered!"

The urgency in her voice was contagious, and Alejandro nodded whirling quickly on Felipe, who was standing behind Alejandro, eyes widened in disbelief. "Rush home and get him some clothes. Bring the cart. We'll change him when you return."

As Felipe turned, Victoria pulled the black cape, gloves, and torn shirt out from Alejandro's hands and shoved them into Felipe's. "Hide these – somewhere!"

Felipe nodded quickly and shoved the black silk down his loose fitting peasant shirt before hurrying out the door.

Before Victoria could say another word, Doctor Hernandez appeared and Victoria pulled the startled man into the room and closed the door.

"What happened?"

Victoria repeated the fabricated story, hoping that the doctor would not feel it necessary to pull the blanket any further down past Diego's waist. If he did, there would be no way out of explaining why the caballero was lying half dressed in her bed, wearing very uncustomary black pants.

Unfortunately, Victoria's heart sank when the doctor asked Alejandro for assistance in rolling the unconscious man onto his stomach so he could look at Diego's back. The movement caused the blanket to reveal a bit of the black material. But Hernandez did not cease his examination. Instead, he leveled a grateful gaze at Victoria, praising her for her treatment of the multitude of cuts.

With Alejandro's help, the doctor rolled Diego onto his back and continued his examination. Without a word, he pulled the blanket back to his patient's waist and tucked it tightly around him. "I will need him to be awake before I can find out if he has any broken bones. I believe he has some broken ribs and I will need to wrap them before he is moved." His eyes shifted between Victoria and Alejandro. "And I will accompany you back to the hacienda."

"Felipe has gone to get the cart," Alejandro said with a nod.

"And a change of clothes, I hope." The doctor stared at Alejandro who exhaled deeply.

Before Victoria or Alejandro could frame a believable excuse, the doctor simply smiled and said softly, "It's a confirmation of something I've known for a good while now."

Victoria's eyes widened as did Alejandro's.

"How?" Alejandro recovered first.

"He tries too hard to not appear interested in you," Hernandez gave Victoria a sad smile. "Yet, he cannot stay away from you. Zorro's secret is easily discovered if you know what to look for."

"I'll bet everyone in the pueblo knew but me!" Victoria muttered quietly, trying desperately to feel anger toward her best friend for keeping such a secret. But deep down, she knew and understood his reasons, even if she didn't have to like them.

"And me." Alejandro sighed, clutching his son's hand, shame and disbelief warring for dominance in his own mind. He had not treated Diego with the respect he had raised his son to exhibit toward others. Diego had a lot of explaining to do when he woke, but Alejandro had a lot of apologizing.

"If it's any consolation – those closest to him would have had to be the most blind of all."

Alejandro understood and said quietly, "for the ruse to be most effective."

Hernandez nodded. "Get him home and into a warm, comfortable bed. There will be a time for questions, and for his answers; for now, we need to help him recover."

* * *

After a few hours of blissful unconsciousness, Diego woke to such a pounding in his head that he wished he were still asleep. He groaned, drawing the attention of those who waited anxiously by his bedside.

"Diego?"

He could hear Victoria's sweet voice calling to him, tugging at his semi-conscious mind.

"Son?"

Diego opened his eyes and found himself looking into the very concerned dark gaze of the woman he loved.

"Victoria?" he whispered, his hand flying to his side as he tried to take a deep breath. He groaned and the doctor immediately appeared at her side.

"How long have I been uncon–"

"Let me examine you, Diego." Hernandez glanced warily at Victoria, who rolled her eyes and stood.

Diego tried to chuckle at the offended look in her eyes but only succeeded in a short gasp of pain. _If they only knew . . ._ A flush crept along Diego's neck as he remembered the night. He hoped she didn't regret what had transpired between her and the masked man she loved so deeply. She was by his side now, so she must have accepted the revelation that he _was_ that masked man. He would have to find an appropriate time to broach the subject – if his father would ignore propriety for a change and leave her alone with him.

"I'll be in the sitting room. Please send for me when you're done with your examination." Victoria glanced at the doctor, then at Alejandro. With a conspiratorial smile, she leaned over and kissed Diego gently on the mouth, letting her hand linger on his cheek for a few moments longer than was entirely proper.

Alejandro didn't bother to hide a smile as Diego's jaw fell open and his eyes followed her retreat from the room. After she had gone, Alejandro turned to his son, forcing a stern look into his eyes. "You have a great deal of explaining to do, my boy."

"Later," Hernandez said sharply as he pressed at Diego's side, drawing a sharp hiss between clenched teeth from the young caballero.

"As I thought. You've got some broken ribs."

Diego nodded, squeezing his eyes shut and taking a deep, shaking breath. "My arm is broken or badly sprained as well."

The doctor took his time in completing his exam, making sure he found, treated, and bound every cut and bruise on his patient's body. "You've got a bit of a fever as well." He dug through his medical bag and pulled out a small bottle. "I'm sure you'll recognize this," Hernandez said with a small smile as he recalled the day Zorro had dropped it off to cure a young boy's raging fever.

Diego forced a blank look into his eyes and the doctor just laughed. "Fine, fine. Keep up your secrets." He turned to Alejandro. "Put a few drops of this in his tea, or soup, every four hours."

Enough time had passed that Diego was getting tired again. He forced his eyes to remain open, hoping that his father or the doctor would allow Victoria to return. His lovely señorita, he imagined, was probably quite agitated by being forced to wait in the sitting room.

"Someone had better get Victoria, before she storms in here without an invitation," Diego said weakly, a small smile curling his lips.

"Yes, well, you are going back to sleep," Alejandro put a few drops of medication into a nearby glass of wine and held it to his son's lips.

Diego wrinkled his nose at his father's choice of beverage but the stern look in the older man's eyes told Diego he'd better drink it without complaint.

Doctor Hernandez wondered at the conversations that would surely take place as soon as Diego was clearheaded enough to field the volleys that were sure to come from every conceivable direction. "I'll get the señorita. Send for me if I'm needed. Otherwise, I'll return tomorrow."

"Thank you, Doctor." Diego said as he sipped more wine his father stubbornly set at his lips.

Victoria swept into the room as soon as Doctor Hernandez left and she resumed her seat next to the bed. When she began fussing with the pillows, the blanket, the injuries that were now very securely bound, Diego exchanged a mildly amused look with his father.

"You can be sure that Doctor Hernandez treated my injuries to the best of his ability," Diego finally said, lifting his hand to catch hers as they folded in on themselves at his words. When their eyes met, and held, so many unspoken words and feelings passed between the two that Alejandro couldn't help but swallow uncomfortably.

He felt he was intruding on an intensely private moment, but his sense of propriety would not allow him to step away and leave the señorita alone in his half-dressed son's bedroom.

"Father," Diego began, tugging his gaze with difficulty from those of his love. "I know this might be a bit much to ask, especially right now, but could you please give us a few moments alone?"

Alejandro raised an amused eyebrow but Diego continued, somewhat nervously, the older caballero thought.

"I am hardly in any condition to take advantage of the situation."

Victoria lowered her eyes and stared at their entwined hands. His fingers tightened around hers, reassuring her without words.

"Against my better judgment . . ." Alejandro rose and leveled a serious look at his son. "Not too long now. You need rest. There will be plenty of time for talking later." With that, he stepped out of the room, hesitating at the entrance to cast one last look back toward the couple.

When Diego was certain his father wasn't lurking right outside, he weakly lifted his hand to Victoria's cheek, "It's all right. I don't think I have the energy to talk anyway."

Their eyes met and Victoria smiled slowly. "What did you want to do, instead, then, Diego de la Vega?"

His fingers fanned beneath her chin and slowly drew her closer. "Kiss you." Somewhat quickly and nervously, he added, "If you will permit me."

A small tremor raced down her spine at such unusual directness and her eyes brightened.

"Before my own medicine knocks me out."

"Well, Diego. You know." Victoria began, enjoying the slight discomfort she could see pass across his eyes when she didn't immediately agree to his 'request'. "That wouldn't be proper."

Diego nodded, remembering the events of the previous night. The look in her eyes told him she was remembering them as well. "I think we've already strained the bounds of what is proper."

"Oh no." Victoria's mouth was very close now as she leaned toward him. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek. "We haven't strained them at all."

Diego's eyebrow rose, wondering for a split second what she could possibly think their actions last night could conceivably be constituted as.

"We ripped them to tiny, little, unidentifiable shreds."

Diego grinned, refusing to avert his eyes as he had so often done in the past. Now was a time for honesty, not carefully concealed secrets.

In spite of his weakness, his hand slid from beneath her chin around her neck to gently guide her the rest of the way to his mouth. When their lips met, the familiar heat and passion ignited between them and they clung to one another, drinking heavily, until the need for air required them to part.

His eyes were tender when they parted, and he whispered, "This isn't the way I envisioned you discovering my secret."

Her eyes flashed. "Then just how, exactly, did you envision telling me about this very large, life-altering piece of information?"

A small smiled tugged at his lips. "Over a nice romantic candle-lit dinner – that you didn't have to cook yourself," he added with a chuckle.

"We had a nice, romantic, candle-lit dinner that day in the cave . . ."

Diego sighed, expecting the loud, angry tirade to begin any moment. "I know. I'm sorry. I should have told you then. But I was afraid."

Her eyes were tender but full of an unspoken challenge. "That I wouldn't truly love the man behind the mask?"

"I admitted as much to you that day. But, no, not just that. I'd overheard the bandits talking about getting the information about the cave out of you one way or another." Diego took her hand in his and reverently squeezed it, brushing his thumb gently across her wrist. "I vowed not to put you in that kind of danger. Not for me."

"I understand your reasons," Victoria admitted, noting by the drooping look in his eyes that he was tiring. "But it was unfair to make that decision for me."

He closed his eyes and she leaned forward and kissed him gently. "Sleep, we can talk more about this when you wake."

He forced his eyes open, shifting them so that they gazed imploringly into her own. "I love you, Victoria. I've only ever had your safety –"

"I know." She pressed her fingers to his lips and he closed his eyes, finally succumbing to his body's injuries and the medication. "Later, my love." She felt him relax beneath her touch, smiling when she realized that he'd heard the heartfelt endearment.

* * *

If it was possible, his body hurt even more when he woke hours later. His head was clearer but there wasn't a place on his body that didn't hurt.

He smiled tiredly down at Victoria, who had her head pillowed on the bed beneath a bent arm.

He reached out to gently touch her dark curls and she instantly woke, her eyes brightening.

"Diego!" She leaned toward him and brushed her lips against his.

"How did you convince my father to let you stay?" he rasped, clearing his throat so that he could speak in a more normal tone.

"You were asleep," she said simply.

Diego chuckled, wishing he had heard that conversation. His father was more concerned with propriety and reputation than he should be, in Diego's rather jaded opinion.

She took his hand. "How do you feel?"

"Like the tavern collapsed on top of me."

She reached out and brushed back a lock of dark hair that had fallen into his eyes. "No, it was just my dresser."

"Remind me to put your dresser on the far side of our bedroom, then," he joked with a smile and Victoria's eyes brightened noticeably at the mention of their future.

"While I am encouraged by such conversation," Alejandro strode into the room, carrying a glass of juice, "you will first have to come up with a plan to convince the pueblo that Victoria has fallen out of love with Zorro and in love with you, my son."

Diego nodded solemnly but it was Victoria who spoke. "Thanks to my best friend's heroic actions during the earthquakes, I've suddenly realized that I care for him a lot more than I thought I did." She took his hand and brought it to her lips, slowly kissing each long finger.

Alejandro's eyebrows rose and fell, contemplating this story. "It just might work."

"It just might at that," Diego added with a grin, sliding his fingers from her lips around to encircle the base of her neck. Just as he would have drawn her lips to his, Alejandro cleared his throat from the other side of the bed.

"Don't make me regret letting Victoria stay here to care for you." Alejandro's gaze carried with it a stern warning and Diego instantly removed his hand.

Although he was tempted to argue with his father - he and Victoria _were_ engaged, after all - Diego decided on a safer subject. "How is the tavern faring?"

Victoria reached for his hand, defiantly holding it tightly as Alejandro leaned back in his chair and watched the exchange.

"I don't know. I haven't been back since they brought you home."

Diego glanced at his father. "We should send Felipe to make sure everything is still in its proper place."

"It will be fine, Diego," Victoria smiled softly, her heard warmed by his concern. "Your life is far more important to me than any building."

Diego turned his gaze toward his father, "Can we have a few moments, father? Please?"

Alejandro shook his head. "Not until you are up and walking around on your own."

As Diego opened his mouth to protest, Alejandro raised his hands. "I will have no one speaking ill about my future daughter-in-law. There will be no rumors surrounding this courtship."

Diego rolled his eyes as Victoria chuckled. "I'll go get you some food. You must be starving."

A small, mischievous smiled tugged at his lips as his gaze swept across her lovely curves. Remembering how they had felt beneath his hand and mouth, he shifted uncomfortably in the bed. "Very much so," he said, his voice taking on a slightly deeper tone than was normal.

Victoria flushed, noticing his appreciative gaze, and left the two men alone, but not before leveling a smoldering look at Diego which instantly fired his blood.

Alejandro laughed as Diego closed his eyes and sighed. "Control your passions, my son. You will be married soon enough."

Diego groaned and admitted with a knowing sigh, "That is so much easier said than done."

Alejandro's eyes narrowed but he didn't press further. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what kind of liberties Zorro had taken with his lady, although he anticipated they were actions his gentlemanly son would not have otherwise done.

* * *

The medication Alejandro studiously continued to drop into his son's food kept Diego asleep for most of the next day and when he woke he was quite ready to get out of bed. Despite Alejandro's insistence that he remain confined to his room for another day, Diego simply acquiesced until his father went into the pueblo.

Victoria found him in the garden when she returned from her own errand at the tavern.

"It's good to see you up and moving about."

Diego looked up from his book, a lively adventure story he had read many times before, and smiled lovingly at his lady. "If my father had his way, I would still be flat on my back in bed."

Victoria chuckled and took a seat next to him on the ornately carved bench. "Such a position must be quite alien to you."

His gaze met hers and, as usual, a spark ignited between them. He lifted his good arm and wrapped it around her shoulder as she leaned against him, resting her hands on his upper thigh. "I confess," his breath was hot on her lips, "to a preference of seeing _you_ flat on yours." He brushed his lips against hers and she trembled, more from his words than from his touch.

"It's not fair, you know," she whispered, lifting her hand to curl her fingers into his dark hair.

A smirk crossed his lips as he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth and whispered, "What might that be?"

"You've seen me –" She swallowed somewhat nervously but determinedly continued.

He kissed her, as much out of desire to halt this line of discussion as well as to taste the sweetness of her lips again. He wasn't used to such closeness and his body had a very difficult time behaving itself when she was so close. If his father saw them now, he would confine the both of them to different corners of the hacienda until the wedding.

He whispered. "Soon." And she melted against his side. His hand moved from her shoulder into her hair, turning her head further towards him and deepening their kiss.

"Sooner than even you plan if your father has anything to say about it," Victoria chuckled when they finally parted.

Diego laughed and pulled her closer. "I have no doubt. My father has been nagging me to marry since I returned from Spain." He turned bright eyes on her. "And you know how long that's been!"

Victoria frowned. "Yes. I know exactly how long it's been."

Diego decided to continue before Victoria's mood deteriorated and they started to argue about the passing of so much time. "I would take you to the padre today if I thought we could marry without arousing suspicion."

"Well, your father and I have planted the first rumors surrounding our interest in one another, so," Victoria whirled on him, "I expect to be well and thoroughly courted by you, Diego de la Vega. You have a lot of time to make up for!"

Diego grinned and pulled her close. "A welcome prospect, I assure you."

She leaned against him and silence fell for a long moment before he continued. "Perhaps those earthquakes were a blessing in disguise. Even with all the destruction, only a very few lost their lives. And – we've been given an opportunity to finally be together."

"We could have been together long ago if you trusted me."

Diego sighed. "I know. And that is a mistake I will be making up to you for the rest of my life."

Victoria grinned mischievously. "I look forward to it."

As the sun set to the west, bathing the garden in shadow, Diego and Victoria simply sat together, snuggling close. They realized that their lives had changed for the better thanks to an unpredictable natural phenomenon that would continue plague the region for generations to come.

_THE END_

**Thethirdtroll** – Oh, Diego/ Zorro is able to resist, in part. You'll have to read the unedited version on my site to see just how much he is able to resist :) Thanks for the nice, long review. Hope school is going well. Keep reviewing, you know I do enjoy torturing you….

Haven't read the book. I read a synopsis and that was plenty. Really have no interest in it.

**Aurelia30** – It'll be up on my site as soon as I'm done posting this chapter :) It isn't a whole lot more. But it's a bit too much for some of the delicate sensibilities of some of the readers, I think.

Have you seen Duncan in the series 'V'? Looks very good in that series as well. It was done before Zorro, where as I think DS9 was done after Zorro.

**Andi** – Well no. The man can never get a break. It's too much fun torturing him. Well, until the end :)


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